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BackgroundThe gene encoding apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been proposed as a candidate gene for vascular complications in Type I diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the influence of three-allelic variations in the APOE gene for the development of diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy.ResultsNeither APOE alleles frequencies or APOE genotypes frequencies differed between Type I diabetic groups either with or without nephropathy. Similar results were found for patients with and without diabetic retinopathy.ConclusionsAPOE gene polymorphism does not determine genetic susceptibility for the development of diabetic retinopathy in Type I diabetes patients. Association between APOE gene polymorphism and diabetic nephropathy may be weak or moderate, but not strong.

A new rat model of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was proposed via reversible occlusion of the major vessels originating from the aortic arch and supplying the brain. This technique can be used for the search and study of exogenous (pharmacological) and endogenous methods of brain protection from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Cerebral ischaemic postconditioning (PostCon) is a recently discovered endogenous neuroprotective phenomenon that occurs after several brief bouts of reperfusion/ischaemia instituted immediately after prolonged cerebral ischaemia. Data on the extent of PostCon-mediated infarct size limitation in models of focal cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion are controversial. In this study, we investigated the infarct-limiting effect of PostCon in the rat model of focal cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion. The relationship between anatomic pattern of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and infarct size was also studied. The protocol of PostCon consisting of five episodes each of 10-s ischaemia and 10-s reperfusion was protective in terms of infarct size limitation only in animals with the typical bifurcating MCA branching pattern. The anatomic pattern of the MCA should be considered as one of the important factors influencing the outcome of neuroprotection studies.